I look at the roadside and see good grazing, at a fallen tree and see a jump. My phone autodials the farrier and my Mini hauls feed, so naturally my blog is about horses.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..

Rejuvenation

With a storm threatening, I went to SAFE early yesterday. As I followed Old Owen Road, there was a serene snow blanket of 2-3 inches across the plateau, but the temperature at the barn was slightly above freezing and the ground was thawing.

Since I wasn’t racing the darkness, I gave many of the horses some turnout time in the arena, including Krabask, the Arab who came to SAFE in mid-November, seriously underweight. When he arrived, he looked quite pathetic and elderly, his face frosted in white. In a winter where there are so many horse in need, some have suggested rescues should focus only on younger, more adoptable animals.

I guess that depends on what your understanding of a rescue is. They are not public institutions, but are maintained by private efforts and donations. There are finite bounds of space and time, not to mention anxiety that horses that have been adopted out may need to return. A young and unhandled horse requires the rescue to invest in the training that an owner neglected. Older horses that can still work often turn out to be that excellent family horse that everyone is seeking. It’s hard to devise hard and fast criteria, and very often it is simply a matter of timing as to whether a particular rescue can take in a horse or not.

For Krabask, the timing was likely a life-saver. He was not only thin but he had a tumor, one that turned out to be cancerous. His fate might have rested in the hands of a reluctant caretaker, if they had bothered to find out what that lump on his shoulder really was. If the decision for care is based on a cash value, few older horses have good odds. Whether the decision is for euthanasia or for surgery, every horse deserves at least that they be considered as an individual. Unfortunately, the further they are separated from their original owners, the easier it becomes to simply shunt them on down the line. In a way, the fact that he was thin probably also helped Krabask – skinny horses do not sell at auction these days, and so SAFE was contacted.

As it turned out, removing the tumor was performed with local anaesthesia by Dr. Hannah Evergreen, and his prognosis is good. The lab results show that cancer does not seem to have spread, and I can watch him celebrate his freedom with a smile. The minor hock arthritis that led to his retirement for a twelve-year dressage career on the Arab circuit is clearly not troubling him here.

We know about the arthritis because the posting of his photos and story on the SAFE website turned up several old owners. At least one of them offered him a retirement home, if need be. However, it looks like his obviously returning health, lovely movement and a reputation as a good kids horse have already earned him one possible adoptive home. If that works out, they are lucky. I have really come to appreciate Krabask’s elegant manners around the barn in his short stay there. Although like any older gentleman he is concerned with his comforts, he accepts their provision with the graciousness of a European born in another century. He will kiss your hand if invited and offer you at least the appearance of his undivided attention. He’d make an excellent ambassador for senior horses.

I work well for positive reinforcements like this.

Sometimes people are afraid to go looking for a horse they used to know for fear of hearing a story like Krabask’s, or perhaps one with a less happy ending. Good news is always eagerly celebrated, though. After posting a story about Earl, an older thoroughbred who now belongs to Julie Boulter, a number of his old owners got in contact and were thrilled to hear he was doing well. On balance, there’s so many more horses in good homes than those who are in distress – it’s just that we don’t hear about them so much.

That might change. If you are looking for a horse you owned or rode in the past, or if you have a mystery horse, you might want to go check out HorseReunions.com – the brainchild of Cathy Atkinson of the Fugly Horse of the Day blog. You have to register in order to see the links on where to post your horse or to search the database. Here’s three cheers for Cat for putting the site together.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..